Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Join Outside+
Already have an account? Sign In
Outside Watch
Premium Films and Live TV
Campfire
Outside Learn
Expand your Skills with Online Courses
Podcasts
The Outside Podcast
Maps
Get the Free Gaia GPS App
Get the Free Trailforks App
Events
Find Your Event
BuySell
Buy & Sell Gear
Outside+
See Membership Programs
Shop
Discover Outdoor Products
Advocacy
Find Your Good

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Join Outside+
Already have an account? Sign In

Brands

Outdoor
Healthy Living
Endurance
Industry

EXPLORE OUTSIDE WATCH

Get inspired with adventure films, event replays, series, and more.

START STREAMING

GET 60% OFF OUTSIDE+

One Subscription for All Your Adventures

SAVE NOW

VeloNews News

National championships round-up: coverage from the women’s races

The national championships are in full swing in Europe, which kicked off with the individual time trial in numerous countries. The Northern Hemisphere countries tend to collectively hold their national championship events in June due to a designed break in the professional European race calendar. Beyond the honuor of being…

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

The national championships are in full swing in Europe, which kicked off with the individual time trial in numerous countries.

The Northern Hemisphere countries tend to collectively hold their national championship events in June due to a designed break in the professional European race calendar.

Beyond the honuor of being crowned the best in the country, national championships can prove importance in the selection for the World Championships as well as regional and Olympic Games.

Here are your new national champions:

Countries are in alphabetical order. We will update as information becomes available. For complete results, visit our race results page.

Belgium

Ann-Sophie Duyck (Topsport Vlaanderen) time trialled to victory at the Belgian National Road Championships. The gold medallist was 1:41 quicker than Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) in second place.

  1. Ann-Sophie Duyck (Topsport Vlaanderen)
  2. Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda)
  3. Sofie de Vuyst (Lensworld.edu – Zannata)

Tweet, tweet:

Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) took back-to-back road titles at the Belgian National Road Championships. Despite being overwhelming outnumbered as the only Wiggle Honda rider in the Belgian bunch, d’Hoore managed to unleash a devastating sprint from a reduced field to claim her second road title.

  1. Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda)
  2. Lotte Kopecky (Topsport Vlaanderen – Pro – Duo)
  3. Sofie de Vuyst (Lensworld.eu – Zannata)

Words from the winner:

“I wasn’t confident because I did a lot of work in the race. When there were attacks I had to go with them because I was the only one from the team. So I did a lot of work, I couldn’t save myself for the sprint. I hoped I had something left for the end, and I had, so I’m happy about that!

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about the road race at the Belgian National Championships in this Wiggle Honda report -which also features the road race at the Japanese National Championships won by Mayuko Hagiwara (Wiggle Honda).

Belarus

Alena Amialiusik (Velocio-SRAM) successfully defended her title in the time trial at the Belarusian National Road Championships. Stopping the clock at 31:52 at the end of the 24.2km course in Narovlia, Amialiusik was 25 seconds quicker than Tatsiana Sharakova in second place and 1:03 ahead of Elenka Sitsko (Astana-Acca Duo O). It is the fifth straight title for Amialiusik, who remains undefeated in the discipline at nationals following her first time trial title in 2011.

  1. Alena Amialiusik (Velocio-SRAM)
  2. Tatsiana Sharakova
  3. Elenka Sitsko (Astana – Acca Due O)

Tweet, tweet:

Read up on Alena Amialiusik’s time trial win this Velocio-SRAM report.

Alena Amialiusik (Velocio-SRAM) did the double, claiming her fourth road title at the Belarusian Road Championships. The repeat champion attacked on the first of three finish laps and crossed the finish line solo.

Words from the winner:

“The race was 130 kilometres with eight large laps and three small finish laps with a steep 16% climb in the small laps. I attacked in the first finish lap and rode solo to the line. I’m very happy to win both titles in Belarus. I’m proud of this and to be able to continue to wear the Belarusian colours in both time trials and road races again for the next 12 months is really nice.”

Tweet, tweet:

Learn a bit more about Alena Amialiusik’s gold medal winning ride in this Velocio-SRAM report.

Britain

Hayley Simmonds (Velosport) produced an incredible ride to finish a minute ahead of Molly Weaver (Liv Plantur) and Dame Sarah Storey (Pearl Izumi) in the time trial at the British National Road Championships.

  1. Hayley Simmonds (Velosport)
  2. Molly Weaver (Liv Plantur)
  3. Sarah Storey (Pearl Izumi)

Words from the winner:

“It’s completely overwhelming – I’ve worked really hard for this,” said Simmonds. “I hoped it was going to be really close and I just went out and did the ride that I thought I could, did the effort I thought I could and obviously it paid off…After I finished and I was half collapsing over my bike I could just hear the commentator say my time and then say ‘will anyone go under 50 minutes’. Dame Sarah and Katie Archibald are both capable of going under 50 and at that point I wasn’t even sure that I was in the lead, let alone that I was going to win by a minute.”

Tweet, tweet:

Full story by British Cycling -includes coverages of all national time trial titles (men’s, women’s, U23).

Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) reclaimed the British road national title in commanding fashion. En route to her third national road title, Armitstead attacked the reduced peloton on the fourth of five ascents of the cobbled Mickelgate climb on a “Classics-like” course in Lincoln. The win makes it four from four for Armitstead who has won each of the last four races she has started -the Boels Rental Hills Classic late last month, followed by the Philly World Cup and the first stage of the Aviva Women’s Tour (before crashing out of the race just past the finish line of stage) and now the British National Road Championships.

  1. Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans)
  2. Alice Barnes (Betch NL Superior-Brentjens)
  3. Laura Trott (Matrix Fitness)

Words from the winner:

“It means I get to be proud of being British in all the races that I do. It means a lot – it means new kit for a start! I go to the Giro on Friday so it will be a quick turnaround for them. I had some good people around me before the start who told me to believe in myself and I listened. It was a difficult race. The longer the race went on the better I started to feel.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Lizzie Armitstead’s golden ride on British Cycling’s website or in the Guardian or on Cycling Weekly.

Canada

Karol-Ann Canual (Velocio-SRAM) took the gold medal in the time trial at the Canadian National Championships, winning the 30 kilometre race by 1:17 over Jasmin Glaesser (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies). Defending champion Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) rounded out the podium, 2:03 off the winning team. This is Canual’s first elite national title.

  1. Karol-Ann Canual (Velocio-SRAM)
  2. Jasmin Glaesser (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
  3. Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)

Words from the winner:

“I believe in my ability to time trial, so I knew I could do well today, but you never know. I was excited to ride today and being the strongest was the best part. It was such a hard course, and for sure, I pushed until the end because you never know what is going to happen.”

“This has been a goal of mine since the end of last year and I’m so happy to be Canadian Champion in the time trial. My progression in time trials has come along since I joined the team in 2014 and I was part of the winning World Championship TTT squad in Ponferrada last year. This year in 2015 with Velocio-SRAM, I’ve had amazing support from the team with training camps, aerodynamic testing and our sponsors have provided me with really the best equipment. I’m really happy to have this title, to repay some of that team belief and as a reward for my own hard work too to achieve this goal.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Karol-Ann Canuel’s time trial title in this Velocio-SRAM report or Watch a video interview with Karol-Ann Canuel here.

Joëlle Numainville (Bigla) out-sprinted defending national road champion Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) to take the win in the road race at the Canadian National Road Championships. Numainville jumped out of a reduced bunch with the finish line in sight to pull on the maple leaf jersey.

  1. Joëlle Numainville (Bigla)
  2. Leah Kirchmann (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
  3. Jamie Gilgen (Rise Racing)

Words from the Winner:

“I’m super happy to bring the jersey back to Europe. Being able to carry your country’s flag for a year is special at every race you go to. I was focused on these nationals for a long time. Everything I’ve done the past few weeks has been for this

Tweet, tweet:

For more from Joëlle Numainville on her big win, check out Bigla’s race report.

Finland

Despite a flat tyre, Lotta Lepistö (Bigla) successfully defended her title in the Finnish time trial championships.

  1. Lotta Lepistö (Bigla)
  2. Merja Särkioja
  3. Sari Saarelainen

Words from the winner:

“I had a flat in the last kilometre too, so I was very relieved to defend my title and cross the line with the fastest time.”

For additional details and comments click through to Bigla’s race report.

Lotta Lepistö (Bigla) did the double in Finland, putting in a late race attack to solo across the finish line. It is the fourth consecutive road title for Lepistö.

  1. Lotta Lepistö (Bigla)
  2. Laura Vainionpää
  3. Pia Pensaari

Words from the winner:

“I tried to attack several times but every attack was covered the whole time. I made my move with 1km to go and no one was able to follow then. There were two corners in the last kilometre and I put the hammer down there. I wasn’t actually feeling that great and was hoping I could get away solo earlier but others could follow my attacks. It’s always an honour and even though I’ve had the jersey for a long time now I don’t take it for granted. It’s really special.”

Tweet, tweet:

Hear more from Lotta Lepistö in Bigla’s race report.

France

After losing by just two seconds in 2014, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Wiggle Honda), who has four times finished second in the time trial, claimed the top step at the French National Road Championships on Thursday, 23 seconds over last year’s winner Aude Biannic (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86) and 34 seconds over road (and ‘cross!) world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Rabo Liv).

  1. Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Wiggle Honda)
  2. Aude Biannic (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)
  3. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Rabo Liv)

Words from the winner:

“Finally I did it! It was a long wait, and I’m enjoying it maybe more than I would have done if I had won last year, because one year has passed and it has been a long year – a long season. With all my problems from the beginning of the season I couldn’t expect this dream, so I”m really happy.”

Tweet, tweet:

The Wiggle Honda race report is full of fantastic comments from Audrey Cordon-Ragot. Read them here.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabo Liv) soloed to victory in the road race at the French National Road Championships to claim her 23rd national title (yes, you read that correctly – 15 road, six mountain bike, two cyclocross + six world titles). Riding without teammates, Ferrand-Prevot dominated, crossing the finish line two minutes ahead of Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Wiggle Honda), who proved best of the rest.

  1. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabo-Liv)
  2. Audrey Cordon (Wiggle Honda)
  3. Amelie Rivat (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86)

Tweet, tweet:

Life is beautiful ? ? Mathilde l'azou

A photo posted by Pauline FERRAND-PREVOT (@paulineferrandprevot) on

Brief report from Rabo-Liv on Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s win.

Germany

It was a Velocio-SRAM sweep in the time trial at the German National Road Championships with Mieke Kroeger taking up upset victory. Thee 21-year-old beat world time trial champion Lisa Brennauer by 38 seconds over the 30 kilometre course. Trixi Worrack rounded out the podium.

  1. Mieke Kroeger (Velocio-SRAM)
  2. Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM)
  3. Trixi Worrack (Velocio-SRAM)

Words from the winner:

“I was very nervous but I did not want the pressure to influence me in the first lap and to over-pace like I did in spring at the Borsele (Netherlands) time trial. I didn’t know my intermediate split time but I knew that it was close between Trixi, Lisa and I. It’s my first senior TT title and I’m very happy.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about the Velocio-SRAM time trial sweep out of Germany here.

Trixi Worrack (Velocio-SRAM) claimed her third German national road title, winning the road championships from a two-rider breakaway. Worrack escaped with Claudia Lichtenberg (Liv Plantur) and Hanka Kupfernagel in the opening hour of the race. Kupfernagel lost contact with the breakaway and was reabsorbed by the peloton. Despite a spirited chase, Worrack and Lichtenberg managed to hold their gap to the finish. Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM) rounded out the podium.

  1. Trixi Worrack (Velocio-SRAM)
  2. Claudia Lichtenberg (Liv Plantur)
  3. Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM)

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Trixi Worrack’s win in the Velocio-SRAM race report.

Italy

Elena Cecchini (Lotto Soudal Ladies) soloed to victory up a steep three kilometre climb en route to victory in the Italian National Road Championships road race. It’s back-to-back victories for the 23-year-old who bested pre-race favourite Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda) by 21 seconds. Two seconds further back, Dalia Muccioli (Alé Cipollini) rounded out the podium.

  1. Elena Cecchini (Lotto Soudal Ladies)
  2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda)
  3. Dalia Muccioli (Alé Cipollini)

Tweet, tweet:

No report from Lotto-Soudal but this race report from Wiggle Honda includes comments from Elisa Longo Borghini, who speaks honestly about her disappointment with the silver medal.

Time trial on July 25, 2015.

Luxembourg

Christine Majerus successfully defended her time trial title at Road National Championships in Luxeumbourg. With a winning margin of 1:31, Majerus dominated en route to her ninth title in the race against the clock.

  1. Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans)
  2. Elise Maes
  3. Chantal Hoffman (Lotto Soudal Ladies)

Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) has done the double yet again, winning the road race at the Luxembourg National Road Championships by a whooping 4:19.

  1. Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans)
  2. Elise Maes
  3. Chantal Hoffman (Lotto Soudal Ladies)

Tweet, tweet:

The Netherlands

Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) upset former world champion Ellen van Dijk by 29 seconds to become the new national time trial champion.

  1. Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv)
  2. Ellen van Dijk (Boels-Dolmans)
  3. Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans)

Words from the winner:

“I was hoping for podium and dreamt of the red – white-blue, but I did not expect it on a course like this,” said Anna. “We have worked hard on my time trial . The team is also much concerned with the development of the equipment. A time trial is important in stage races, and the Olympic time trial also takes place on a very nice course. But this title is in itself very special.” 

Tweet, tweet:

Learn more about Anna van der Breggen’s monumental win in Rabo Liv’s race report.

It was a hard-fought battle for the national title in the road race at the Dutch National Championships where Lucinda Brand (Rabo Liv) emerged victorious. In the closing kilometres of the race, Brand accelerated away from an elite group of 11 riders that had taken shape during the last hour of the race. Her attack proved the race winning move. It is the second road title for Brand, who was last road champion in 2013.

  1. Lucinda Brand (Rabo Liv)
  2. Amy Pieters (Liv Plantur)
  3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Bigla)

Words from the winner:

“I felt good today, but not completely fresh in the final. I knew I had to play it smart tactically. ”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Lucinda Brand’s win on her personal website (in Dutch) and the Rabo Liv website (also in Dutch).

Norway

Cecile Gotass (Hitec Products) won the time trial at Norwegian National Road Championships, beating out Marie Elise Ommundsen and Thrude Natholmen.

  1. Cecile Gotaas (Hitec Products)
  2. Marie Elise Ommundsen
  3. Thrude Natholmen

Tweet, tweet:

Miriam Bjørnsrud (Hitec Products) won a two-up sprint from teammate Cecile Gotaas (Hitec Products) to take the road title at the Norwegian National Road Championships. Ingrid Lorvik rounded out the podium, crossing the finish line 1:28 behind the Hitec Product teammates

  1. Miriam Bjørnsrud (Hitec Products)
  2. Cecile Gotaas (Hitec Products)
  3. Ingrid Lorvik

Tweet, tweet:

Spain

Anna Sanchis (Wiggle Honda) took out the time trial title at the Spanish National Road Championships. Her winning time of 36:26 was 59 seconds quicker than Sheyla Guttierrez (Lointek) in second place. This is the third time trial title for Sanchis, who was national time trial champion in 2012-2013.

  1. Anna Sanchis (Wiggle Honda)
  2. Sheyla Guttierrez (Lointek)
  3. Belén López

Words from the winner:

“I feel really good. I felt good in the Emakumeen Bira, and then at home I trained really well. I felt good every day, no allergy problems, which is probably the most important, because sometimes I can’t train for that! But now I feel okay. Yesterday, when I saw the parcours, I thought it was very, very good for me, because it was really hard. 26 kilometres, but really, really hard at the end, where there were two little climbs. When I saw it yesterday I said ‘tomorrow I can win!’ ”

Tweet, tweet:

Wiggle Honda has a detailed report including plenty of comments from the new Spanish time trial champion. Read it here.

Anna Sanchis (Wiggle Honda) did the double, adding a road title to the time trial title she earned at the Spanish National Road Championships earlier in the week. The 27-year-old unleashed an emphatic sprint on the uphill finishing straight in Cáceras handily beating Ane Santesteban (Inpa Bianchi), who was forced to settle for second. Alicia González (Asturiana) rounded out the podium.

  1. Anna Sanchis (Wiggle Honda)
  2. Ane Santesteban (Inpa Bianchi)
  3. Alicia González (Asturiana)

Words from the winner:

“It was a really, really hard sprint. Today it was really hot. It was more than 40 degrees. Every girl was really tired. The race was really affected because of the heat, but in the end I felt really good. I had a lot of power in my legs. I couldn’t feel the affects of [the time trial] yesterday.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read Wiggle Honda’s report out of Spain here.

Sweden

Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) successfully defended her time trial title in Sweden to make it national title number 11. It is her seventh title in the race against the clock.

  1. Emma Johannson (Orica-AIS)
  2. Sara Munstonen-Lichan (Liv Plantur)
  3. Hanna Nilsson

Words from the winner:

“With all the pressure after winning so many times, I can only lose. Of course, I’m happy but it’s more of a feeling of relief that I managed to pull it off again. Even though I’m feeling strong, there’s so much pain to go through during a time trial. You can never be sure. I was nervous but in a good way – because I care. I was also nervous because I knew it was going to hurt. You know it needs to hurt because otherwise you’re not doing it right.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Emma Johansson’s time trial title on her personal website or in the Orica-AIS press release.

It’s title #12 for Emma Johansson, who soloed to victory in the road race at Swedish National Road Championships. Johansson, who won the individual time trial four days earlier, spent more than 100km (of 124km) up the road -including 50km solo – en route to her win. She came to the finish line an impressive 2:20 ahead of silver-medalist Sara Munstonen-Lichan (Liv Plantur). Hanna Nilsson rounded out the podium one second further back.

Words from the winner:

“It’s one thing to win the time trial. It’s something completely different to win the road race. There are more variables that come into play. I have to think more about tactics -the others and not only myself. There can be technical difficulties or bad luck. I’m very, very happy. With all my other results, it might not make sense that the national title is so important to me, but it is. It means a lot to me to spend another year in the blue and yellow jersey. I’m very attached to it, and I’m quite relieved that I can continue to wear it for another year.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Emma Johansson’s impressive victory on her personal website or in the Orica-AIS race report.

Switzerland

After finishing second in the time trial at the Swiss National Championships two years in a row, Doris Schweizer (Bigla) finally stood on the top step.

  1. Doris Schweizer (Bigla)
  2. Ramona Forchin
  3. Marchia Eicher-Vouets

Words from the winner: “I was just suffering. I was the favourite coming into the race but I was nervous because the last few years I haven’t been good here. I’ve made some mistakes in the past and today I was focused and I think I did a good race.”

Tweet, tweet:

Read more about Schweizer’s gold medal winning ride in Bigla’s race report.

2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and triple U23 mountain bike world champion Jolanda Neff (Servetto Footon) showed her versatility yet again with an emphatic victory in the road race at the Swiss National Road Championships. Neff finished 1:31 before Marcia Eicher-Vouets came to the line to claim silver. Newly crowned Swiss time trial champion Doris Schweizer (Bigla) rounded out the podium.

  1. Jolanda Neff (Servetto Footon)
  2. Marcia Eicher-Vouets
  3. Doris Schweizer (Bigla)

Tweet, tweet:

Road race still to come

More National Champions

Austria: time trial – Martina Ritter (BTC City Ljubljana) // road race – Martina Ritter (BTC City Ljubljana)
Costa Rica: road race – Marcela Rubiano
Czech Republic: time trial – Martina Sablikova, road race – Martina Sablikova
Denmark: time trial – Rikke Lønne // road race – Amalie Diderikson (Boels-Dolmans)
Eritrea: time trial Mossana Debesay
Estonia: time trial – Liisi Rist (Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi)
Guatemala: road race – Jazmin Soto
Hungary: time trial – Veronika Anna Kormos
Ireland: time trial – Siobhan Horgan // road race – Lydia Boylan
Japan: road race – Mayuko Hagiwara
Kazakhstan: time trial – Yekaterina Yuraitis
Latvia: time trial – Lija Laizan (Aromitalia – Vaiano) // road race – Lija Laizane (Aromitalia – Vaiano)
Mexico: road race – Erika Varela
Poland: time trial – Eugenia Bujak (BTC City Ljubljana) // road race – Malgorzta Jasinska (Alé Cipollini)
Portugal: road race – Daniela Reis
Romania: time trial – Ana Covrig (BePink) // road race – Ana Covrig (BePink)
Russia: time trial – Tatiana Antoshina (Servetto Footon) // road race – Anna Potokina (Servetto Footon)
Slovakia: time trial – Tereza Medvedova (BePink Ladies), road race – Alzbeta Pavlendova
South Korea: time trial – Ju Mi Lee // road race – Sungeun Gu
Ukraine: time trial – Hanna Solovey
Venezula: road race – Jennifer Cesar

Trending on Velo

An American in France

What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

Keywords:

Related content from the Outside Network

One Way South

Mountain Bikers React to Their First Taste of Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer

Video review: BMC URS 01 Two gravel bike

Kiel Reijnen Vuelta Video Diary: The painful decision to abandon